Written By Gopal Krishna on Monday, November 17, 2008 | 10:28 AM

Lucknow, Nov 16 (IANS) Two minor girls picking garbage at a rubbish dump were injured when a crude bomb concealed in a Pan Parag Pan Masala can went off, police said. This is the third explosion in the city in as many days.The girls, identified as Neelima, 11, and Rashika, 8, were rummaging through the garbage at a municipal community dump near the Idgah ground in Aishbagh, when the blast took place at 9.40 a.m.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Akhil Kumar, the crude bombs were concealed in four Pan Parag cans. “When one of the girls was not able to open the cans, she bounced one on the ground and it exploded,” he said.

The bomb disposal squad of the police disposed off the other three bombs.

“It appears to be the handiwork of criminals who might have hidden the bombs here for committing some crime. The design of the crude bombs hints that a professional hand is behind manufacturing it,” Kumar said, ruling out a terror attack.

He said the girls were out of danger and have been sent to the Trauma Centre of the Medical College and would be discharged soon.

The police are gathering records of criminal elements active in the area. Kumar also maintained that the incident cannot be related to the low intensity blasts that took place in the district court of Lucknow in the past two days.

“Those were fire crackers planted with an intention to disrupt court proceedings and these are crude bombs. We are close to solving the court blasts and hope to nab the culprits behind this blast soon,” Kumar said.